So I chose one particularly favoured shade from each formula. And did this. For reasons.

Lavshuca RD-1, Sonia Rykiel 24, Burberry Bright Plum

Suqqu Blend Maizakura and Creamy Glow Karakurenai

By Terry Hot Cranberry, Revlon Fire&Ice, Guerlain Liu

Common to my favourite formulas: a creamy or balmy feel with good slip, and moisturising properties.There are plenty of formulas out there which have good slip (e.g. Chanel Rouge Coco Shine, Dior Addict, MAC Cremesheen) but which make my lips crack and peel off in sheets and conversely, there are some mattes which are very comfortable for me to wear (e.g. Lancôme Colour Design Matte, Addiction, Guerlain L'Extrait), but my favourites combine both.

On the other hand, lasting power / wear time is something I barely even consider when it comes to lip products. From my favourites, By Terry Rouge Terrybly is an excellent longwearing formula, and Revlon Super Lustrous, Suqqu Creamy Glow, Burberry Lip Cover and Guerlain Rouge Automatique are also reasonably tenacious on me -- but this is really just a nice 'extra'; as an inveterate snacker and sipper, my expectations in this regard are pretty modest. As long as something fades evenly (no dreaded outer lip tidemark or inner sharpie-sucker mouth), I actually quite enjoy seeing/wearing the different colour nuances a single lip shade can display as you build it up and later, as it wears down. I would much rather reapply a nice balmy jelly lipstick every hour than have a film-forming, long-wearing formula whose colour stays bulletproof, albeit in a increasingly hideous (and balm-repelling!) texture as the day goes on.... (e.g. Rouge D'Armani, Lancôme Rouge In Love, almost every lip stain ever)

Opposites Attract

....so why do I love YSL Glossy Stains with a frankly idolatrous love? I am not a stain girl; I am not a gloss girl; I am definitely not an alcohol-in-my-products girl (down my gullet is another matter entirely). I just do. A LOT.Idiotically, my "best of the year" round-up missed these out twice -- in 2011 because I had just tried my first one in December and was all honeymoony and didn't want to jump the gun and in 2012 because they were technically a 2011 discovery/release. Let the wardrobe testify to my love:

7 is not swatched because it was the 'out' replaced by 27 -- even so, I own more of these than of any other lip product

As well as requiring no touch-ups through a full day and many a drink, snack and hearty meal, I adore the shade range in this line and their glorious lacqueredfinishes. I am odd and also enjoy the boozy rose scent. They also mix beautifully to create new shades -- more of this in a future post. While they don't dry my lips out over the day (I think due to the no-reapplication-needed thing), a few consecutive days' wear will start to show on my lips with deepening liplines and dryness.

Tender Loving Care

I hope this post has established that people's preferences in formulas vary and very often make no sense, because skincare/makeup hybrids are particularly tricky, and this final section should be hedged by big flashing Your Mileage May Vary lights.

But for me, these are the tinted treatments I reach for when my lips are actually chapped, peeling, bleeding or otherwise leprous, but I feel the need for a bit of warpaint for psychological blanky reasons and not-scaring-the-small-children, if nothing else.

Fresh Sugar Lip Treatments have been a standby for a decade now -- I've tried every other cheaper substitute on the market and always come crawling back. All three shades I own add a little warmth to correct my naturally corpse-mauve lip tone, and tint them: a clear reddish pink (Rosé), a deeper rose (Berry), and a peachy-pink nude (Honey). They taste like lemon sugar crêpes.Bite Lush Lip Tints are a relatively new discovery, from a Canadian brand I've become very fond of. Somewhat less moisturising than the Fresh Sugar balms, they pack much more pigment -- more sheer lipstick than tinted balm -- and hug the lips more closely (with less slip). Lightly fruit scented, Cherry is a coral red and Raspberry a rose red, both clear and bright.RMS Lip Shine in Sublime was the cool, clear shade I was waiting for to try this formula [thanks for the tip, Grace!] and it is a moisturising and subtly lip-plumping gloss without stickiness. The pink, while cool, is a pop-bright, spring-in-your-ponytail kind of cool, which in its own way achieves the enlivening / de-corpsifying thing I like. Smells/tastes of its ingredients, vaguely waxy.

31 comments:

What a fantastic post! I wasn't one of the pack who requested it but it sure comes in handy. I have one specific question though - have you tried the Rouge Diors? They seem to have some very pretty shades and I wanted to know your thoughts, especially on the dryness aspect, before I splurge. xoxo

<3I find the Rouge Diors a little old fashioned now tbh. They are v pigmented and neutral IMO (not drying, not moisturising) but they do nothing to make lips look prettier -- it's like pure pigment. Your pretty lips need less help than mine though! :)

This is an amazing, amazing post. I can't even imagine how long it would have taken to edit down to your favourites! Also, the Lavshuca packaging is gorgeous, I've never heard of this brand! In fact, I haven't tried most of the textures here, I'll definitely be taking this list along with me next time I'm in the market for a lip colour.

YAY! Le lip post!! I am excited. I never did buy a guerlain RA, don't know why. The packaging thrills me to no end either but I haven't jumped aboard... I did love Liu when I tried on the shades, a lovely go to red shade, a perfect replacement in color but better depth than an old discontinued Chanel. The YSL glossy stains are flawless on you; a brightness occurs on your lips that isn't obtainable for me. And I feel like reaching for mine again.. Ah. Joys of a big lip product closet. I heard scary things about the l'oreal caresse making my friends' lips numb after days of continual use so I am staying far, far away from that as my lips are a sensitive whirlwind anyway!

Thanks for sharing your fav lippies Kaye. I'm a lipstick hoarder and I totally love all your picks. They are some of my favourites too. I am head over heels for Burberry Lip Covers and the YSL glossy stains.

What a beautiful post! I love the way you swatched the products - so original! I agree with you on the YSL - they don't dry out my lips either unless I use them for a few days. But yeah, they are absolutely delightful!

Love this post so much. I bought Corail Aquatique because it's a "safe" color for me and it's quite nice. But, as Jia mentioned, they look so different on everyone (I think it's how thin it applies), that's it's a bit of a crapshoot. I'd like to try more but, I can't figure out how to swatch them with accuracy against my natural lip color. How are you supposed to sterilize this tester? I just refuse to dip into those nasty containers at Sephora and come out with a case of the herps, LOL! Any ideas? Tips?

I also like the Dior Addict lipstick line. It's one that you have to apply more frequently but, I think the texture is worth it.

*drool*it is odd how different formulas work for different people, but the Fresh tinted balms are also a product I just keep crawling back to. Your advice re: texture/moisturization helps me narrow down my lipstick wishlist so much!

Love love love your post and your attention to readers! A good sign for the New Year. I can finally do my lipstick shopping now!

I have desert like lips that all those moisturizing product sink really quickly, so I fooled myself to turn to OCC lip tar so as to reach my lowered goal just to color my lips evenly (including those dry skin bits).

I feel so lucky to have followed you and Temptalia's blog so that I can have a try with Guerlain when I am not willing to spend that much for a Suqqu lipstick and too disappointed by the Chanel's service. YSL ones are unexpected, By Terry is less heard of online, but I am ready to try those after buying my Guerlain one.

Some sensitive-lip people suggest the Glossimer line by Chanel as a lip gloss, do you think your suggestions need to be followed by a lip gloss and is this goal as easily attainable as the MAC Lipglass ones?

I haven't wanted to buy any new makeup for ages but now I have a lust for new lip things!! I still haven't tried any of the YSL Glossy Stains and all of your tinted lip balms are tickling my fancy. Oh dear...

Thanks to this post i just added about 6 YSL lip stains to my Nordstrom cart for purchase in very near future. I don't even really like the lip stains but i might have to give them another try what with them adding so many new colors. Great post. :-)